Living Room + Fireplace + Drapery = Stunning!

Well, that's the description the homeowner gave when she saw the finished product. The room is still waiting for the artwork to be framed, a glass and iron side table, and a floor lamp to be placed in the corner. Things just don't happen overnight, you know.

It's really fun to see where we started. Plans for the drapery panels were already being made:

Many homes have windows next to the fireplace. That can make for some creative ideas when looking at drapery hardware. Even before the crown molding and window trim is in place, we can tell there will be a minimal amount of room above the windows.In the meantime, the finish work was done and the furniture and area rugs were purchased:

It's obvious the room is not finished. Even decorating the mantle won't add the softness and color we need from the drapes.

The client found a blue/turquoise fabric, embroidered with gold stitching. This brought out the blue details found in the rug and furniture. It also looked great on the yellow/gold walls!

We did a couple of renderings for the client, one of them included pinch pleat panels on a rod and rings. After much consideration, this one was eliminated because of the crowded space and the thought that a heavy drape pulled to the side can cause rings to hang "sideways" and slide across the rod.

This was the final drawing---panels shirred on a two-inch rod. The only added decorative items they needed were the iron medallions used to hold the tassel tiebacks.

Here's the finished installation:

The fabric and fabrication was done by Kasmir Fabrics. We specified interlining and the lining is a new fabric that blocks the light but is also very soft and flowing. This combination will also make it easier for the client to remove the tassel and let the panels down for privacy and not worry about the drapery showing wrinkles. Although the fabric looks like a silk, it is made from polyester, as is the lining. The rendering shows the panels with a puddled hem, but in reality, this was not a good idea for a window treatment that may get use. Evenutally, the hem could show wear if it was drawn back and forth across the floor.


The only piece of visible hardware is the tieback from Helser Brothers. It is finished in the same color as the hardware they did for this customer's dining room.

Here's the closeup of the hardware and the fabric.

Thanks again, to our great customer, for allowing us to be involved in turning her new house into the beautiful home she has been waiting for.

Updating a Dining Room

It was time to peel the wallpaper and take down the swags. This homeowner has been doing a total update of her home, room-by-room. If you read the posts last year on "How to dress a window", you got to see the new window treatment in the kitchen. Around the same time, we traded out teal roman shades for some woven wood shades in the living room. Now, it was the dining room's turn!

Here's the before: As was typical, the curtains were hung almost even with the top of the window frame. Not that it looked bad, but it certainly left the dining room feeling smaller and the ceiling a little shorter. Also hiding under the swags was a pleated shade which was needed for the strong sunlight the room receives in the afternoons.



Here's the after: We mounted the drapes as close to the ceiling as we could to help add height to the room. We won't need the pleated shade since the drapes are lined with a blackout lining and can easily be open and closed with the special rod/ring combo we used behind the first pleat of each panel. We are currently on the lookout for a new light fixture, and some new wall decor.


You really need to see the closeup to see the fabric. It is a new one from Trend Fabrics. You can see the pale blue stripe next to the dark gold dots. There is also a dark gold stripe between the lighter gold one you see peaking out between the pleats. Did you notice the header of the drapery is pleated to the pattern of the fabric? We have the custom workroom at RM CoCo to thank for that. Thanks to Cindy and Shannon, we got exactly what we requested! Also note that the pleats are double and not the typical triple finger pleats. This was done to ensure the panels would stack back very neatly and not become bulky. With the total width and the blackout lining, we wanted to make sure they would stack completely off the windows when opened and keep a neat, tailored appearance.


Here's a picture of the ring/rod combo we used:
The pin on the first pleat is placed in the eyelet below the ring and the wand is just behind the leading edge of the drapery panel. This combo is part of the Helser Brothers Drapery Hardware collection. We do rely on this company for many of our iron hardware selections. They are truly a custom company and are always bringing some of the newest ideas to the window treatment industry.

Next time you are in the store, notice all the displays with the iron rods: they are from Helser Brothers.

Tabletop Decorating

Yes, people actually sat at this table and ate a meal under the "wreath tree" we put together with a small tree branch, a sprig of greenery from the shop and 5 of our small preserved boxwood wreaths . Since we didn't have a light fixture over our table to hang the wreaths from, we fashioned something tall enough to accommodate them. The napkin rings were turquoise ribbon with green polka-dots. I think our friend was right when she asked "why not the silver ornaments?" After looking at the picture, you can barely see the green glass ornaments because they blended into the larger boxwood wreath on the table. If we would have had our silver votive holders from last year, they would have looked nice at each table setting, too. It was amazing how much the table filled in after the glasses were set on the table. Glass adds to the sparkle, as does the battery operated candles that were used by several tables---a great idea!

The occasion was the "Women's Festival of Tables" and it was put on by the First Baptist Church of Joplin. The speaker was really inspiring and it was great to connect with old friends and meet new ones.

If you have a tablescape to create this season or for a special event, stop in and see if we have that extra sparkle you need for your centerpiece. We'll definitely have something that sparkles!

A Ribbon Cutting to kick off the Holiday Season!

Since we had never held an "official" ribbon cutting from the Joplin Chamber of Commerce, we decided to do it as a kick-off to the Holiday Season. It may sound early to you, but in the retail biz, you've got to be one step ahead, and that includes getting out the Christmas decor.

We had a good turnout for the day. This photo was taken after the official picture was snapped, and several people had moved off of the sidewalk.

Our Open House was on Saturday, and the weather was almost 80 degrees. We turned the air conditioner back on--high.

So---take advantage of this great weather and get some of your Christmas shopping done early. We'll show you the top 10 gifts under $25, and maybe some unique gift selections you hadn't thought about. Also, if you are in the market for custom furniture or curtains, we are very close to the Holiday cutoff, so don't wait.